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THE STORY 

OF THE 

RIGD BOYS 



e Story of the Rice B 



Captured by the Indians 
August 8, 1704 



AS WRITTEN BY 



REV. EBENEZER PARKMAN 
May, 1769 



WESTBO ROUGH HISTORICAL SOCIETY 
1906 



Gift 
Society 
NOV 7 181$ 



FOUR RICES CAPTIVATED. 
1704. 

On Aug. 8 th , in the year 1704, at the south part of 
Marlboro', then called Chauncy, now Westboro', as Sev- 
eral Persons were busy in Spreading Flax, on a plain 
about fourscore rods from the House of M r . Thomas Rice 
(who was for several years Representative for Marlboro') 
and a number of Boys with them, two of which were Sons 
of the said M r . Thomas Rice ; & three others, sons of M r . 
Edmund Rice ; Seven, some say Ten, Indians, suddenly 
rushed down a woody Hill close by, and Seizing & scalp- 
ing the least of the Boys, (one of y e three last mentioned, 
& about five years old) they took the other four captive, 
the two sous of M r . Thomas Rice, Namely Asher and 
Adonijah, the oldest about 10, the other about 8 years ; 
and the other two of M r . Edmund Rice, of about 9 & 7, 
their Names, Silas and Timothy ; and carryd them away 
to Canada; those persons who were spreading Flax, 
escaping to the House safely. 

Asher, in about four years, returned, being redeemed 
by his Father. This was bro't about by the kind Media- 
tion of the Rev. M r . Lydius, then Minister of Albany. 
[It is a little observable, that when the old Indian sachem, 



4 



THE STORY OF THE RICE BOYS. 



Ountassogo (the Chief of the Cagnawagas at the Confer- 
ence w tb . Gov r . Belcher at Deerfield) made a Visit to Bos- 
ton, & stop'd a while here in this Town, the foreinen- 
tioned Asher Saw him and knew him to be one of those 
Indians, who rushd down the Hill, as above, when the 
Children were captivated.] This M r . Asher Rice is now 
living in Spencer. His Brother Adonijah grew up in 
Canada ; but marry d first a French, afterwards a Dutch 
woman ; settled in Husbandry, on some Land a little way 
off from Montreal, on the North Side of the great River ; 
has had a good Farm there for many Years, as we have 
been certifyd ; and he is, very probably, now living there 
at this Day. 

As to the two other Boys, Silas and Timothy, (Sons of 
M r . Edmund Rice aforesaid) we have had credible In- 
formation from time to time, y 1 they mixd with the In- 
dians ; lost their Mother Tongue ; had indian Wives, & 
Children by them and liv'd at Cagnawaga. Their Friends 
among us had news of them not long since, that they were 
then alive ; So that they may be in all probability there 
still. 

But respecting Timothy, the younger of them, who is 
by much the most noticeable, the Acc ts . we have always 
had, have represented him, as having been for many 
Years, the Third of the Six Chiefs of that Tribe before 
mentioned. This Advancem 1 I understand was upon the 
Death of his Master, or Foster-Father, who adopted him 
to be his Son, instead of a son which he, the former Chief, 



THE STORY OF THE) RICK BOYS. 



5 



had lost. But however, Timothy had much recommended 
himself to the Indians by his own superior Talents ; his 
Penetration, Courage, strength & warlike spirit; for 
which he was much celebrated. This was evident to me 
when in Conversation with the late Mohawk Sachem 
Hendrick & M r . Kellogg, at the Time of their being in 
the Massachusetts ; and his Name was among them the 
same that we had known him by, viz 

OuGHTZORONGOUGHTON. 

— But he himself, in process of Time, came to see us. 

By the Interposition of Col. Lydius, & y e Captain Tarbel 
(who was carryd away from Groton) a Letter was sent me, 
bearing date July 23, 1740, which certifyd that if one of 
their Brethren here, would go up to Albany, & be there 
at a Time specify'd, they would meet him there ; & that 
One of them at least, would come hither to visit their 
Friends in New England. This Proposal was readily 
comply' d with and it succeeded. For the Chief abovesaid 
came hither. The said Mr. Tarbell came also with him 
as an Interpreter & Companion. They arrived here Sept. 
15th. They view'd the House where M r . Rice dwelt, & 
the Place from whence the Children above spoke of, 
were captivated ; of both which he retained a clear Re- 
membrance ; as he did likewise of Several elderly Persons 
who were then living ; tho' he had forgot our Language. 
His Bxcell cy Gov r . Belcher sent for them ; who according- 
ly w T aited on him at Boston. They visited also Tarbels 



6 



THE STORY OF THE RICE BOYS. 



Relations at Groton ; and then returned to us in tlieir 
Way back to Albany & Canada. 

Col. Lydius, when at Boston a while ago, Said this Rice 
was the Chief who made the Speech to Gen 1 . Gage (which 
we had in our public Prints) in behalf of y e Cagnawaga's, 
Soon after the Reduction of Montreal. This last may be 
further enquired into ; but the rest which I have here 
writ, is from good Authority, as I humbly Suppose. In 
particular as to the Captivating ; three Persons who were 
Present, & escap'd the Indians Hands, as abovesaid, are 
now alive, and testifie to this Acc 1 . 

I am &c. 

EB R . PARKMAN. 

Westboro' 
May 1769. 



Note:— The above article was written on the first 
two pages of a folded sheet of paper, 12i by % inches, 
with a wide margin at the back edge. The title at the 
head is on the fourth page. The paper is much discolored 
and is worn in the creases and at the edges, but the writ- 
ing is very clear and legible. 

It has been carefully treasured by the descendants of 
Mr. Parkman, whose great-great-granddaughter, Mrs. W. 
R. Gould, has presented it to the Society. 



THE DEDICATION OF THE MEMORIAL TABLET. 



The Westborough Historical Society, on its field day, 
Sept. 5, 1904, met at the junction of the land of J. W. 
Brittan and F. V. Bartlett, on West Main Street, where a 
boulder given by L. A. Belknap had been placed. 

At 9.30 o'clock, the Committee on marking historic 
sites, C. S. Henry, I. M. Beaman and E. C. Bates, re- 
ported that it. was believed that the capture took place 
near where the flag was set in the rear of the Bartlett barn. 

The tablet was unveiled and the president, S. I. Briant, 
said, 4 'As president of the Westborough Historical Society 
it gives me pleasure to accept this your work, as now be- 
fore us and to declare it in every way well done ; the 
stone rightly located and firmly placed and the tablet ap- 
propriately inscribed and securely set. May it serve to 
remind the passer-by of the heroic sacrifices of our fathers 
two centuries ago and of the kind Providence that was 
with them, is with us today and will be forever with the 
generations yet to come." 

Prayer was offered by Rev. W. C. Townsend. The 
choir with cornet then led in the singing of "Our Father's 
God, to Thee." 

Later, at the Eli Whitney place, Judge W. T. Forbes 
of Worcester gave an interesting address on the Rice boys. 
Having visited Canada several times, he was enabled to- 
present many facts new to most and exhibited several In- 
dian relics used by the "Cagnawagas." 



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